Washboard.



G. RULLMGH @L o. L. WEIGERT,

WASHBOARD. 4

` APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1909 948,909. e Petentea Feb.8,1910.

. 'noznboz 91 Georye. Uzzrwh, s Oscar. L. Wealger.

eeeW'a i sfrnfrs i f i GEORGE F. ULLRICH AND OSCAR L. WEIGERT, l0F MISSOULA, MONTANA; SAID WEIGERT ASSIGNOR TO SAID ULLRICH.

WASHBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led March 26, 1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

serial No. 485,946.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, GEORGE F. ULLRIoI-r and OSCAR Il. WEIGERT, citizens of the United States, residing at `Missoula, in the county of Missoula and State of lIontana, have invented new and useful Improvements in WTasliboards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wash boards, and one of the principal objects of the invention is to improve and simplify the construction of devices of this character by providing a wash board having means for holding a quantity of soap adapted to be imparted to the clothes while the same are being moved over the rubbing surfaces of the board during the process of washing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a self Soaping wash board adapted to supply soap to the clothes without waste during the entire movement of the clothe-s on the rubbing surface of the board.

lVith the above, and other objects in view, which will be more apparent as the description progresses, the invention resides in the novel construction and combination of elements hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing there has been illustrated a simple and preferred embodiment of the invention, and in which,

Figure l is a front elevation of a wash board constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view of Fig. l. Fig. l is a detail perspective view of one of the rubbing surfaces.

In the accompanying drawing the numeral l designates the wash board proper. This board 1 has its frame constructed in the ordinary manner comprising a substantially rectangular structure having sides or legs 2, a top 3, a top board 4 and a bottom connecting strip 5. The top board t is positioned adjacent one of the edges of the legs 2 and is provided with a connecting bar 6. The sides or legs 2 are recessed between the bars 5 and 6 to provide pockets for the reception of horizontally corrugated rubbing plates 7 and 8. These plates are sustained in spaced relation with each other and against the edges of the recesses provided upon the legs 2 through the medium of suitable vertically extending bars 9. These bars 9, preferably two in number, are suitably spaced between the plates so as to provide a central compartment A and side compartments B. The inwardly inclined portions of the V-shaped or corrugated portions of the plates` 7 and 8 are each provided with a plurality of openings l0, con'nnunicating with the interiorly arranged compartments, and the outwardly inclined portions of the plates are provided with suitable depressions adapted to serve as a means for allowing the water to pass freely downward upon the rubbing surfaces, such depressions being clearly illustrated in Fig. 4; of the drawings.

By referring particularly to Fig. 2 of the drawingsit will be noted that the lower portions of the bars 9 have both of their sides scalloped or incut so as to provide a communication between the compartments A and B. The bottom connecting strip 5 has its upper face positioned between the plates 7 and S provided with inclined members C which are adapted to direct the water drawn within the side compartments during the process of washing toward the central compartment A.

The upper bar 6 is provided with a central opening 11 extending entirely over the central compartment A and partly over the side compartments B. This bar l1 has its central body portion provided with a longitudinally extending centrally arranged slot or opening ll and this opening is adapted for the reception of a sliding door ll". The door is of a proper length and width to fully close the opening 11 when desired, and it will be noted that by sliding the door in either direction a communication may be obtained with either of the side compartments Bor with the central compartment A so that slices of soap may be fed within either or all of the compartments as desired. In order to provide a ready outlet for the water or saponaceous substances within the compartments the lower bar 5 is centrally provided with a suitable opening 12 arranged cent-rally of the inner compartment A, and this opening is normally closed through the medium of a suitable plug l2.

The operation of the device is as follows: The door 1l is slid so as to allow for the insertion of a quantity of soap shavings into one or all of the compartments, the corrugated surfaces of the plates 7 and 8 serve as a means for retardingsome of the particles of soap and thereby distributing the quantity fed Within the compartments upon the diiferent portions of the plates. After the soap has been inserted within the compartments a quantity of water may be supplied to the said compartments and by rubbing the clothes over the corrugated surfaces the saponaceous substances will be drawn through the openings 10 and distributed to the clothes being washed. It is obvious that the water thus supplied to the compartment will, by force of gravity, seek the bottom of the compartment and will be directed toward the center of the member through the openings 12 when the saponaceous substance is to be entirely withdrawn from the said compartment. It will be further understood that the soap mixing with the water will form a substantially thickened substance which will not readily flow through the openings 10, but which, under the rubbing action upon the corrugated surface will be readily withdrawn so as to soap the clothes.

Itis of course understood that the clothes are dampened or thoroughly wet before being positioned upon the board for cleaning and it will be noted from the above descrip tion that the necessity of handling the soap by the operator after the same has been applied to the compartments is entirely obviated and that it is simply necessary to rub structed at a comparatively small cost and. 40

which will perform the function for which it is intended with ease and certainty.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new is:

In a wash board, the combination of side bars, upper and lower bars connecting the side bars, the side bars being provided with a recessed portion between the upper and lower connecting bars, corrugated rubbing plates within these recesses, vertical elements spacing the plates away from each other, the inwardly extending portion of the corrugations upon one of the plates being provided with openings, the upper bar being provided with a recess, a door for the recess, the lower bar being provided with an opening and a plug for the opening.

In testimony whereof we affix our signa tures in presence of two witnesses.

v GEORGE F. ULLRICH. OSCAR L. l/VEIGERT. Witnesses: Y

FRANK ULLRICH, HARRY N. PARSONS. 

